‘Dumsor’ to improve next week- Sipa Yankey

The Chief Executive of the Ghana Gas Company says the crippling power crisis which has given president John Mahama many sleepless nights will reduce by next week.

Dr George Sipa Yankey told Joy News’ Newsnite duo of Evans Mensah and Dzifa Bampoh Ghanaians will see a drastic improvement in the power situation by next week.

According to him, the Aboadze plant is going to generate an additional 900 megawatts of power as a result of steps taken by the government to resolve the crisis.

This is not the first time a government official has given such assurances. The four year old power debacle has also seen many broken promises by the president, ministers of state and other party officials.

The president has even promised not to promise Ghanaians again on when the crisis will be resolved.

The Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor who on his appointment gave a six week ultimatum to officials of VRA to resolve the crisis or he would stop them from using generators appears to have back down on his threats.

He also promised to resign by the end of the year if the dumsor crisis persists.

Commenting on the recent media war between the Ghana Gas and the Power Ministry over who is to the blame for the worsening power crisis, Dr Sipa Yankey noted the war of press releases between the two institutions has blurred the great efforts the two institutions are putting in place to resolve the matter.

He added the misunderstanding has blighted President Mahama’s great efforts at resolving the problem.

Blaming successive governments for the power crisis, Dr Yankey said the president is doing enough to resolve the crisis.

“The president doesn’t sleep. I also don’t sleep,” he stated, adding their singular objective is to bring power back into the homes of Ghanaians.

Despite the efforts, there is the issue of money which has always affected government’s fight against the power crisis.

According to Dr Sipa Yankey, the government owes the Ghana Gas an amount of over $100 million in unpaid debts. The West Africa Gas pipeline company is also owed over $150 million all of which will affect the supply of gas to power the plants to provide electricity.

These notwithstanding, Dr Yankey said Ghanaians will witness an improved power situation by next week.